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31
Oct
Harrogate shopkeeper’s family ‘deeply concerned’ about NHS report into her death
The family of a Harrogate shopkeeper have expressed concerns over the conclusions drawn by the NHS after her death.
Claire Lewis was found dead in her home on May 26, 2026 aged 52. An inquest ruled she had died from multi-drug toxicity.
However, her family say this outcome has not brought the answers or reassurance they had hoped for.
Samantha Stewart, Claire’s sister, told the Stray Ferret:
For us, this is not simply about the cause of her death. It is also about the concerns surrounding the mental health support she received, and whether opportunities to assess her needs more fully were missed.
Claire Lewis and family
A NHS After Action Review, seen by the Stray Ferret, recorded action taken by staff before and after Ms Lewis’s death and lessons learned.
This report highlighted that when Ms Lewis’ ex-husband called 111 concerned for her mental wellbeing in March, he was not directed to the crisis team nor was a safeguarding referral made, which it should have been.
The individual who took the 111 was given additional support as a result. However, the family has been “left questioning whether enough has been done to ensure meaningful lessons have been learned”.
Ms Stewart said:
We are not claiming that different action would definitely have saved Claire’s life. We recognise that nobody can know that. However, we remain deeply concerned about the missed opportunity for further clinical assessment and whether this may have been a contributing factor in the circumstances surrounding her death.
It has been particularly difficult to accept that the After Action Review did not identify anything that caused or contributed to Claire’s death, despite identifying an issue with the handling of the call. We feel there is a difference between addressing an individual learning point and giving a family confidence that the wider concerns have been properly examined.
Claire Lewis, pictured outside her shop in August 2025.
At the inquest and in the After Action Review, it was reported that Ms Lewis had suffered mental health issues for a number of years and had been prescribed a range of medicines to help.
On March 20, about two months before her death, Ms Lewis had gone to A&E and was assessed by a mental health nurse, who felt she was not in crisis with her mental health and her poor physical health was causing her anxiety. It was suggested Claire might benefit from attending group sessions with the mental health charity MIND and she was advised to contact her GP.
Ms Lewis’s family emphasised they are not looking to blame individuals, but want “transparency, accountability and reassurance” so other families don’t have to experience the “same heartbreak and unanswered questions”.
Ms Stewart added:
Claire was so much more than the circumstances in which she died. She was a sister, an auntie, a friend and a loved one. She mattered, and her life mattered. Behind the reports, paperwork and inquest findings is a family left heartbroken, trying to come to terms with losing someone they loved while still searching for answers.
We cannot change what happened to Claire, but we can continue to ask questions and seek accountability. We will continue to speak up for Claire because she deserves to be remembered for the person she was, and because we believe every family deserves answers when they lose someone they love.
You can read the full findings from the inquest here.
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